New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Fisimp 149’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Fisimp 149’, characterized by its outwardly spreading, rounded and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching and freely flowering habit; large rounded dark pink-colored flowers with red purple-colored eye that are positioned above and beyond the foliage; and leaves with dark green-colored upper surfaces, dark red-colored lower surfaces, and red-colored petioles and venation.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Fisimp 149.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fisimp 149’.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram is to develop new moderately compact Impatiens cultivars thatflower relatively early with large rounded flowers and attractive flowercolors.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross made by the Inventor in July,1998 of the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Neptis, disclosed in U.S. PlantPat. No. 10,321, as the female, or seed, parent with the Impatienshawkeri cultivar Woya, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,858, as themale, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Fisimp 149 was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross in a controlled environment in Moncarapacho, Portugal inMarch, 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken inMoncarapacho, Portugal, since March, 1999, has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Fisimp 149’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Fisimp 149’ as a new and distinct Impatienscultivar:

1. Outwardly spreading, rounded and uniformly mounded plant habit.

2. Freely branching and freely flowering habit.

3. Large rounded dark pink-colored flowers with a red purple-colored eyethat are positioned above and beyond the foliage.

4. Leaves with dark green-colored upper surfaces, dark red-colored lowersurfaces, and red-colored petioles and venation.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, the cultivar Neptis. In side-by-side comparisons conducted bythe Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants of the new Impatiensdiffered from plants of the cultivar Neptis in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens were shorter, broader and had shorterinternodes than plants of the cultivar Neptis.

2. Flower color of plants of the new Impatiens was dark pink with a redpurple eye whereas flower color of plants of the cultivar Neptis waslight pink and red bi-colored.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the maleparent, the cultivar Woya. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by theInventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differedfrom plants of the cultivar Woya in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens were not as compact as plants of thecultivar Woya.

2. Flower color of plants of the new Impatiens was darker pink thanflower color of plants of the cultivar Woya.

Plants of the new Impatiens and the cultivar Fisimp 130, U.S. PlantPatent application filed concurrently, differ in flower coloration.

Plants of the new Impatiens can also be compared to plants of thecultivar Grenada, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,343. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid,Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of thecultivar Grenada in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens were more broad than plants of thecultivar Grenada.

2. Leaves of plants of the new Impatiens were shorter and more broadthan leaves of plants of the cultivar Grenada.

3. Flowers of plants of the new Impatiens were larger, more rounded andflatter than flowers of plants of the cultivar Grenada.

4. Flowers of plants of the new Impatiens had a larger and darker redpurple-colored eye than flowers of plants of the cultivar Grenada.

5. Flowers of plants of the new Impatiens were dark pink in colorwhereas flowers of plants of the cultivar Grenada were light red incolor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Impatiens. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Fisimp 149’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Fisimp 149 has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Langley, British Columbia, Canada, undercommercial practice in a greenhouse. Rooted young plants were planted in17.5-cm containers during the spring and the aforementioned photographand following observations and measurements were taken during the summerabout 17 weeks later. During the production of the plants, daytemperatures ranged from 21 to 24° C. and night temperatures were about17 to 18° C. In the following description, color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Fisimp 149.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Neptis, disclosed in U.S.Plant Pat. No. 10,321.

Male parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Woya, disclosed in U.S. PlantPat. No. 10,858.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 8 to 9 days at 24° C. Winter:About 10 days at 21° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Summer: About 15 days at 24° C.Winter: About 18 days at 21° C.

Root description.—Numerous, fibrous, and freely branching; 159A incolor.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Outwardly spreading, low, rounded and uniformlymounded plant growth habit; freely branching habit, dense and bushyappearance; freely flowering. Moderately vigorous.

Crop time.—From a rooted cutting, about 10 to 11 weeks are required toproduce finished flowering plants in 12-cm containers.

Plant height.—About 20.8 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 56.4 cm.

Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: About 12. Length: About 17.5 cm.Diameter: About 9 mm. Internode length: About 4.5 cm. Color: Youngbranches, 181A; older branches mostly light green, 143C.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Primarily in whorls. Length: About15.9 cm. Width: About 5 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acuminate. Base:Acute. Margin: Serrulate with ciliation. Texture: Smooth, slightlyrugose; glabrous. Color: Young and fully expanded foliage, uppersurface: 139A. Young and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 184A.Venation, upper surface: 53C to 53D. Venation, lower surface: 53B.Petiole: Length: About 2.25 cm. Diameter: About 4.5 mm. Color: Uppersurface: 53D. Lower surface: 184B.

Flower description

Flower type and flowering habit.—Single; large rounded dark pink-coloredflowers with red purple-colored eye. Freely and continuously flowering;usually about 6 to 8 flowers and flower buds per lateral branch. Flowersflat and positioned above and beyond the foliage and typically faceparallel to the leaf canopy. Petals not persistent; gynoeciumpersistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Flower longevity.—Flowers last about 8 to 9 days on the plant.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. Plants beginflowering about 9 to 10 weeks after planting.

Flower buds.—Length: About 2.1 cm. Diameter: About 1.6 cm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: 50A.

Flower length.—About 6.8 cm.

Flower width.—About 6.6 cm.

Flower depth.—About 7.5 mm.

Petals.—Quantity: Five per flower, imbricate. Length: Banner petals:About 3.1 cm. Lateral and base petals: About 3.1 cm. Width: Bannerpetal: About 4.8 cm. Lateral and base petals: About 3.75 cm. Shape:Roughly cordate. Apex: Retuse to emarginate; two shallow lobes. Base:Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Aspect: Mostly flat. Texture: Smooth; satiny.Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Ground color, 52C;center of banner petal and fine longitudinal lines on lateral and basepetals, 43B to 43C, faint. Towards base of petals or eye, close to 53A.Ground color becoming closer to 51A with subsequent development. Whenopening and fully opened, lower surface: 52B.

Spur.—Quantity: One per flower. Length: About 6.3 cm. Diameter: At apex:About 0.5 mm. At flower: About 3 mm. Aspect: Curved. Color: 53B.

Peduncles.—Length: About 6.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Strong,flexible. Angle: About 45° from the lateral branch. Color: 181B to 181C.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five fused at anthers,hooded; filaments free. Anther length: About 6 mm. Anther shape:Obovate. Anther color: 54A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 8D.Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 5 mm.Stigma color: 54A. Style color: 54A. Ovary: Five-celled. Ovary color:185A.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Impatiens.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Fisimp 149’, as illustrated and described. 